Scotland- Castles and Cobbled Streets

Edinburgh was an amazing city. We mostly hung about the Old Town, so we were mostly exposed to the medieval (and touristy) side of the city, yet I would still say that I got a feel for Edinburgh as a whole.

St. Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile

Grassmarket- the cute area behind our hostel that used to be a square for hanging people

Old town was very cool. The streets all looked medieval and many buildings that I found to be magnificent were simply some kind of office building or something mundane like that. There was just a wealth of beautiful, ancient architecture. There was also always a bagpipe playing in the streets. I know that was for my benefit as a tourist, but it gave the city a stereotypically Scottish feel, which I appreciated. I found the people to be very friendly, especially compared to London. I can always appreciate a city that appreciates tourists. Living in Huntington Beach, a town that makes most of its money from travelers, I know how locals can disdain them. But not Edinburgh, they embraced us. 

A beautiful building with no important or classic purpose

I got to learn quite a bit about Scottish history. Not growing up in the UK, I am guilty of thinking of Ireland and Scotland as pretty interchangeable (or at least until I moved to London). I even used to get them mixed up. But they are far more different than I thought. Including their mentality towards England. Due to the joining of the kingdoms under a single monarchy, they don’t share the same hostility that I have sensed from the Irish about English rule. In fact, after the creation of the Scottish parliament, many seem to be indifferent about being joined with England and having near autonomy. Of course, the referendum coming up this September about Scottish independence came up multiple times and I will be interested in what comes of it.

The controversial Scottish Parliament building, a bulbous eyesore of modern architecture that ruins the old town skyline.

This was my first hostel experience. I was nervous but I was in a quad room with the three girls I went with, so it was a good way to start. The Castle Rock Hostel was AMAZING. It was decorated with a medieval theme (being directly next to the Edinburgh Castle, it made sense) and had a very inviting atmosphere. They had multiple lounges: one for purely socializing, one for using your computer/other technology, and one very big lounge that had the kitchen. We spent our two nights in Edinburgh in the bigger lounge. It had couches, tables and chairs, and plenty of outlets. The general feeling of this lounge was so cool. There were people there from tons of countries, mostly ages 20-25, all interested in meeting new people. The first night, the hostel put on a beer pong tournament and paired us up randomly. I played with a French guy named Philíp. We did terribly, but it was fun nonetheless! The girls and I ended up going out to a bar called Globe that was honestly, a bit eurotrash and a bit seedy, but there were people from all over and that was cool. At one point I looked around me, at the group I was talking to, and saw that there was a French guy to my left, a Brazilian guy to my right, an Australian guy across from me, and a Canadian girl diagonally. So cool!

Great location right next to the Edinburgh Castle

We really did a mixture of things to get the most out of our trip. One of the coolest things we did was a scotch whiskey tasting. They had a little ride that took you through the process of making whiskey. Then we were told about the different regions of Scotland and the varying whiskies that come form those regions. Then we got to pick a region to try based on a choice of scents we smelled. It was malt, so it was a bit rough, but a cool experience all together!

We also went through Edinburgh Castle, which was on a hill in the middle of the city. I got up early the next morning to check out Holyrood House, which is the Queen’s residence in Scotland. It was lavish of course, and I learned a bit about Scottish royalty, which I knew nothing about.

 

Inside the castle

Also inside the castle

In front of the Holyrood House

Inside the Holyrood House

We took a free walking tour and got to hear some interesting stories and tidbits from a local. After grabbing lunch, we hiked up the Salisbury Crags to Arthur's Seat. It was an exhausting, long, but very rewarding day. Our hike worked out so that we were there at sunset, getting to see the view from three different lightings.

Day

Sunset

For some reason this picture is all wonky, but picture it darker, clearer, and just better

We got pub food several times and we even tried haggis. For those of you who don’t know what haggis is, it is a traditional Scottish food. Wikipedia says Haggis is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver and lungs); minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in the animal's stomach and simmered for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a sausage casing rather than an actual stomach.

We decided the best way the try it for the first time was deep fried as an appetizer. My review: rich but not bad!

The third and final day in Scotland, we took an all day bus tour through the highlands. We went all of the way west to Glen Coe, up to Loch Ness, and finally up to the most northern town, Inverness. This was the picturesque Scotland I imagined. It was absolutely breathtaking and humbling.

The Harry Potter Hogwarts Express train bridge!

A castle on Loch Ness

All together, an unforgettable trip. I had a great time with the girls I went with and felt that I made the most of my time there. I definitely would have preferred to spend more time there but as my mother so wisely stated, I leave with a reason to come back.